Category: North America

Driving from San Diego to San Francisco

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We decided to drive right through in the day to allow us extra time in San Francisco. San Francisco is 502 miles (800 km) north of San Diego and we traveled on the Interstate 5 (I5) for the entire trip. Until we passed LA the traffic was a bit steady but not as slow as the M4 on a good morning. It was truly amazing how the countryside changed along the way there must have been at least 150 miles (maybe more) of nut trees and they had ripped a lot out due to irrigation restrictions.

Today we saw the most cattle any of us had ever seen before in one place, they were in a big feedlot that went on for miles and miles. They were all black cattle and I would hate to think of the volume of feed they would consume in a day. The feedlot (Harris Ranch) can process up to 250,000 head cattle annually. At any given time, seventy to 100 thousand head of cattle are present at the lot. Cattle typically spend twelve to sixteen months grazing before arriving at the feedlot at 650 to 750 pounds. Once there, the cows spend three to four months fattening up to an additional 400 pounds before they are slaughtered at Harris Ranch’s Selma plant. Now the largest cattle feeder on the West Coast, Harris Ranch produces nearly 200 million pounds of beef a year but is still considered a moderately sized operation. The nation’s largest operations located in the Midwest and Texas feed can feed over 400,000 head of cattle at one time. Mega-feedlot operations such as these pose significant human and environmental health threats including surface and groundwater contamination and air pollution including emission of greenhouse gases. 

We arrived at our hotel a few minutes after 4pm and were settled into our room a short while later. Ian and I duck across the road to Panda Express to get some take away Chinese for dinner. It was a long drive but very interesting just the same. The little red ford focus ticked over the 2000th mile since we picked her up in LA.

The rain started about 200 miles out of San Francisco and it looks as though our visit to the bay area will be wet. According to weather reports, there is substantial rain on the way.

San Diego and Sea World

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San Diego turned on some beautiful weather for us to explore San Diego. Day one was spent wandering around the downtown in Gas Lamp district. We visited Westfield’s and checked out Macy’s and Norstrom’s department stores in the complex. We wandered along the waterfront and visited Sea Port village which was well done but obliviously designed with tourists in mind. Lots of quaint little shops with oodles of souvenirs and nicknacks.

Dinner was just up the road from the hotel at Japanese restaurant Fuji Steakhouse and Sushi. Our Teppanyaki Chef was fantastic and to quote Sharpie “The best calamari’ he has ever eaten and complimented his streak perfectly. Mum and I had the steak and shrimp and we all had chicken fried rice as a side. All prepared in front of us in teppanyaki style.

Day two we took a drive out to the San Diego zoo and took some pictures at the entrance but decided we would go to Sea World as it would be less walking and the shows looked good. Good, they were great, we watched all three shows and each one outdid the previous show. The sea lions and the otter were funny and the show on how the dolphins and whales are being trained for the new show opening in 2010 was terrific and informative. Our day was capped off with the Shamu show which was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen and I’d have paid the entrance fee just to see this half hour show. There were so many highlights but I really enjoyed the penguin display as well.


On the way home we headed to a jewelry outlet, Sarah you would go nuts here, I made heaps of purchases and it looked like I would need to get a second job to pay for my haul but no it only tallied a couple hundred dollars. I have 10 pairs of earrings, 10 or 12 rings, a ruby and silver bracelet, and a pendant. I will have to hide them when I get home or lose them. Mum made a couple of nice purchases as well and Sharpie kept the car company in the car park for an hour and a half. Glad he didn’t come in I would have probably bought even more. 


We decided on dinner at Denny’s back near the hotel, although no one was really all that hungry we had only had a coffee since breakfast and still didn’t feel like much for dinner. Chicken fried steak for me, Ian had the fish and mum had scrambled eggs and sausages. 

Tomorrow we set off for San Francisco all looking forward to sitting for the day. All leg weary from all the walking







Tucson to San Diego in a day

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We decided to drive from Tuscon to San Diego in one day (about 400 miles or 660 km). Like driving from Sydney to Nyngan. The drive was good up to lunchtime when the heavy rain set in and driving across the range was tricky, Ian was up to it and we arrived safely at our hotel by about 4pm.  We saw three rollovers on the way down due to drivers going to0 fast and braking too sharply in the slippery conditions.


We stopped at Cracker Barrel in Yuma to break the journey. This is Ian’s favourite eating place and he has been hanging out for the opportunity to sample their meals. Yuma is nestled in the Yuma and Gila valleys of southern Arizona on banks of the Colorado River.


With three days in San Diego, it was worth pushing on to get the opportunity to rest up a bit and catch up on washing and other chores. We are staying at a La Quinta on the outskirts of San Diego, again a great hotel at the right rate.



The gunfight at OK corral

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We dedicated today to visiting Tombstone. Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then the Arizona Territory and is the site of the famous gunfight at OK Corral. Tombstone is 70 miles south of Tucson and well worth the trip. Without tourism, there would be no Tombstone, everything is designed and relies […]

Grand Canyon, Phoenix, Tucson Arizona

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After a delicious breakfast at our hotel, we set out to spend the morning in the Grand Canyon South Rim National Park. Entry was $25US per vehicle and with maps in hand, we headed into the park. The Rangers were very informative and helpful. It helps to be Aussie everyone likes to chat to an Aussie. The weather was very clear and not all that cold, a bit chilly to start off but warmed up during the morning. The park is well layout and designed to handle large numbers of visitors. As it is heading towards winter it is considered low season but still, there were quite a few hikers and visitors out and about. The viewing areas give spectacular views of the canyon and wow this is some gully. The colours and character of the canyon were different at every place we stopped to look. Spotted the Colorado River snaking through the canyon at the Hermit’s Rest lookout, even spied some rapids through the binoculars. We spend an enjoyable few hours exploring before retreating to the general store for coffee and shopping. All touristy items but still fun to look at.

At about 1pm we set a course for Phoenix, with the plan to overnight there before heading to Tucson where we plan to stay for two nights allowing us time to make the trip out to Tombstone. The drive was uneventful and the roads really make driving easy. We arrived in Phoenix at 5.30pm and had a bite to eat in the hotel (Courtyard on Marriott) cafe. Up early and quick continental breakfast before finding a Walmart (don’t know how we did it ..only at least 20 to choose from according to Tom)  for essential purchases than on the road for Tucson only couple hours drive away. On arrival, we head out to the Pima Aviation Museum and Boneyard where all planes not in use are mothballed. The museum was great, so many different planes from so many different eras. Even a couple of old Air Force One planes (Kennedy and Johnson’s AF1 plane was on display). The B52’s are so big, how on earth did they get off the ground, especially fully loaded. To see a paddock full of planes as far as the eye can see is something to behold.

Checked in to our La Quinta room and walked next door to the Denny’s Diner for a light dinner, well at least mine was light, Sharpie has 3 courses again, he couldn’t resist the apple pie. Spend the next two hours moaning about eating too much. Tomorrow we are headed to Tombstone Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday country and the site of the famous Gunfight of the OK Corral.

In and around Las Vegas

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We have walked too far and eaten too much in Vegas. It was good to be back in town again, there is still more to see but I can only cope with 3 days at a time. The food is over the top and we almost succumbed to death by buffet twice. How many snow crab legs can I consume at a sitting well no-one was counting but let’s just say a lot. For Ian it was the mini lemon meringue pies, he ate more than 3 blokes could in a sitting. If the amount of food doesn’t get you…. the walking will. We walked the whole strip in a number of goes, still ended up footsore. We had the best weather for seeing Las Vegas, not a cloud in the sky each day and warm enough to be comfortable about 22c each day. Staying in the Paris Casino was a highlight and being in the middle of the strip it was perfectly located. I have stayed in three casinos in Vegas now and each has been better than the last. Ian had a lot of fun playing Texas hold ’em. He won and even won back the $100 he lost playing blackjack in ’99, he feels vindicated now that he has his money back and some.

After checking out it was back in the car and headed for the Grand Canyon approx 277 mi – about 5 hours driving time.

We had a good trip and getting out of Vegas was uneventful only about three turns in total and all on freeways, easy. Tom proved his worth yet again. Along the way we stopped for coffee and fuel at Kingman otherwise it was straight through to Village near the south rim on Grand Canyon and checked in to our Holiday Inn Express Room ($64) and lovely spacious room.

The highlight of the day would be crossing the Hoover Dam, this was amazing and provided us with a great place to stretch our legs and get some great shots around the dam and the new roadway they are putting. The bridge construction is something to behold. The countryside was very barren until about the last 2 hours of the trip. This country has its share of goat country.

Dinner at the Yippee Yi Oh Steakhouse, it was good food and good service, lovely big open fire and very warm inside. We are getting our first taste of cold as there was evidence of last night’s ice on the ground when we arrived and the temp has been dropping quickly. The gloves are out!!!

Tomorrow we explore the canyon…….

LA to Las Vegas

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We drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas yesterday and it was a good trip. No incidents and driving were easier than getting around Sydney especially with our trusty mate Tom or as sharpie keep referring to it Tomboy or Thomas the Tank. We could not get over the sparseness of the Mojave desert and lack of trees between LA and LV. We are arrived at about 4pm and checked into Paris Paris Hotel. Parking was free another thing that does not happen in Sydney. With only a short stop in Barstow for a coffee at Maccas and another pit stop at a rest area, the trip was only about fours hours.

Last night we headed to the buffet in Paris and for $22 I ate more snow crab and prawns than I’ve ever seen, topped my meal off with banana and apple crepe. Yum!! Everyone ate too much and needed a walk along the strip to work some of the dinner off. We wandered for a couple of hours and watched the Bellagio fountain and back to the room to turn in.

We’ve arrived and all in one piece

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Arrived in LA at 9.50am on Sunday morning which was five hours before we left. The A380 what can I say, the quietest flight, the best food, the best crew and all on the newest largest plane I have ever seen. The flight was terrific and seemed to go quickly, usually does for those of us that sleep well on a plane. Excellent onboard entertainment including tail webcam which allowed us to watch the takeoff and landing like never before. The non-plane sleepers are sleeping now in our room at the La Quinta Hotel which is no more than 10 minutes from LAX. We will rest up today and collect our thrifty rental car (100 yards down the road) tomorrow and head for Las Vegas.

The news has reported dust storms in Arizona and snow in San Diego so we are in for a interesting trip weather wise. Today sunny and 24c.

Up up and away to LA

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The day has come to begin our trip. Shuttle picking us up this morning and we fly out at approx 3pm this afternoon. Looking forward to LA especially the 22c after yesterday’s shocker. The bags are packed, all the kids have put their orders in, so I think we are free to go. Jorja is going to watch our progress on the round map (globe). Looking forward to flying on Qantas A380 the novelty will wear off about 5 hours into the trip. For those who are going to follow along on our journey, welcome. Please comment and leave any suggestions for places to visit. Restaurant and accommodations suggestions will be appreciated along the way.

First stop overnight in LA, then collect the car and drive to Las Vegas for 3 nights. After that who knows where but I will at the plans as they are formed. Thanks, everyone for the good wishes.

What do the ballet and a trip to San Antonio have in common?

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Answer: Things we are going to do while staying in Abilene

Just had a call from Leonie she is going to try and get tickets to the ballet in Abilene and organise a trip to San Antonio.

Ian has dipped out on the ballet but is looking forward to visiting San Antonio again. He says he and Scott will go to the pub while the ballet is on.

Things we will enjoying seeing in San Antonio are visiting the Alamo again and also seeing the riverwalk decorated in Christmas spirit.

I am still wearing some shoes (which I love and wear almost every day) that I purchased in the Rivercenter, hope I can get some more.

Bring it on less than three weeks to go before we fly out